All,

I have been espousing the virtues of a Corretto roaster for quite some time, and wanted to give a little push towards an alternative roasting set up that is a bit different than the SC/CO methods widely used by the DIY community.

First and foremost, the Corretto roaster was born here, and is named after the thread where it first appeared.

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1154442377/0

Minimum requirements:

A bread maker (available widely at thrift stores, model does not matter)
A heat gun (available at hardware stores everywhere)
A scale (analog acceptable)
A metal colander

Extras, to make the roast more “scientific”:
Digital thermometer (k-type probe)
Digital scale
Microphone stand (to hold the heat gun)
Rewiring tools
Shop Vac ( for easy clean-up)

Pics of my set-up in the next posts.
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A minimum set up (bread machine @ $6.00, heat gun @ $20.00, analog scale @ $5.00) will get you roasting today, and has a capacity of 1 ~ 2 lbs of beans per roast. However, you won't be able to monitor the bean temperature. Also, depending on your bread maker, the "dough cycle" may not run long enough. Finally, you will have to hold the heat gun while it does its job, which can be a long time (20 minutes)

The "advanced" set up incorporates a k-type probe thermometer (almost necessary, but I have roasted without one - cost estimated @$25.00), a digital scale for more accurate measurement (and dual purpose should you decide to diet or deal drugs - cost estimated @ $12.00) and something to hold the heat gun (I used a desktop microphone stand - cost estimated @ $13.00)
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This is what my precious looks like when she's hard at work.

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I'd be more than happy to give more pointers if anyone is interested. Home roasting is a fantastic hobby, and is pound-for-pound CHEAPER than "Gourmet" coffee. I pay about $4.00 per pound for green beans and love the variation over Charbucks.
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An interesting method I've not seen yet. Make sense to me as a probable method!
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IMHO, it provides a more even roast & has higher capacity (1-2 lbs) than a popcorn popper or SC/CO. I have roasted in both, but YMMV.

By far, finding a popcorn popper that is correctly vented is the cheapest method. The Corretto roaster has a slightly lower entry cost than an SC/CO.
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Very cool. Does the Heat gun just blow the chaff out of the machine? Do you use it in your screened porch area or is that an open deck?
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Wow that looks interesting. I was just debating the popcorn popper with cooker top roaster that I believe a site sells all put together for like 200 with cooler set up (its on sale this week). I think thats what your calling a SC/CO.

With the spike in coffee prices I have gotten very interested in roasting my own.
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The heat gun blows the chaff between the wall of the bread machine and the pan, with a little escaping out the top. I have seen people craft aluminum foil gaskets to prevent "chaff fountains", but I don't see the need in my set-up.

My preferred beans are either decaf or Asian, which dont have as much chaff as Mexican/South American beans

And, yes, that is my screened-in porch. I would NEVER recommend roasting inside. The smell would linger for a very long time, and the billows of smoke would set off just about any smoke alarm.
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That is exactly what an SC/CO roaster is (acronym for "Stir Crazy / Convection Oven)

Sadly, the price spike is affecting green beans, too... However, to a lesser extent. Besides, once you go FRESH ROAST, it is damn hard to go back.
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Bump, cuz I was just watching vids of different ways to home roast. A heat gun and drill (both of which I already have) attached to some type of drum was my initial choice, but this may win me over too. at approx. 1/2 cup of beans per roast with a popcorn popper, it's really not enough.

How long do you let your beans rest between roasting and grinding/brewing?

I saw a couple tutorials say you should wait a couple days for the bloom to settle down a bit...
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It's all a matter of personal preference. I've brewed beans fresh off the cooling tray, and I've waited 3-4 days. If you are French-pressing the coffee, give it two or three days to degas. Other methods (drip, moka, etc) are a lot more forgiving.
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k. During the week, I brew 3/4 a pot of drip in the morning and take my 20oz press to work for an afternoon cup. I really need to get my hands on a 'cheap' ($50-$75) grinder that can give me consistent grinds in the coarse range. I don't care about making espresso(yet), so the majority of grinders out there aren't for me :-)
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"Cheap" and "consistent" are mutually exclusive. You can either have cheap OR consistent.

With that said, given that you are doing either press or drip, a cuisinart or other general appliance manufacturer would make a machine that is adequate. Find a good price on any burr grinder, given those parameters. The moment you want to get more fancy, you'll need to throw $150~$200 at it for starters.
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I see you never met any of my old girlfriends.......:-)

Hey Ted, long time no see. Looks like a neat set-up. Missed this the first time around. You should see Mike's new drum roaster set up. Maybe he would put it into another thread.


ps You still hold the record Bud.
:-)
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A record I hold PROUDLY!!!

I met some guys at a herf last year, and pnoon said "This is the guy who holds the record!"

They looked at me with sincere reverence.

It's good to be the king!
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By the way, drum roasters are really sexy.

Had a buddy offer me an old gas grill which I really wanted to convert into a drum roaster. Wish I had taken him up on it. Roasting 3 pounds at a time? No problem!
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He showed me a picture last Thursday. A converted toaster oven. Looked pretty cool. I'll talk to him about maybe posting something, Your Highness.
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LOL!

Thanks for the tips ted. There's a fella from up north on youtube who recommended a krups and a cruisinart and showed a nice little sharpening mod to make them even better. I may go for one of them. Part of me wants to save money and buy a Skerton, but I've read too many bad things about its coarse consistency and bushings wearing out around the shaft...

I've also contemplated making a drum roaster out of a couple big ass colanders and some sort of fire element. Shouldn't too difficult since I have the means to weld something together.
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